A New Jelly Ascomycetous Genus Record for Turkish Mycobiota

A New Jelly Ascomycetous Genus Record for Turkish Mycobiota

SDU Journal of Science (E-Journal), 2010, 5 (1): 1-4
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A New Jelly Ascomycetous Genus Record for Turkish Mycobiota
Ilgaz Akata1,*, Abdullah Kaya2
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Ankara University, Science Faculty, Department of Biology, 06100 Tandoğan- Ankara, TURKEY
Adıyaman University, Education Faculty, Department of Elementary Education, 02040 Adıyaman,
TURKEY
*
corresponding author e-mail: [email protected]
Received: 16 February 2010, Accepted:22 March 2010
Abstract: Leotia lubrica (Scop.) Pers. was reported from Yomra district of Trabzon (Turkey). It is the
first member of the genus Leotia to be recorded from Turkey. Short description and the photographs of
the species are provided and discussed briefly.
Key words: Biodiversity, Macrofungi, new record, Ascomycota
Türkiye Mikobiyotası için Yeni Bir Jelimsi Askomiset Cins Kaydı
Özet: Leotia lubrica (Scop.) Pers. Trabzon (Turkey)’un Yomra ilçesinden rapor edilmiştir. Bu Leotia
cinsinin Türkiye’den kaydedilen ilk üyesidir. Türün kısa deskripsiyonu ve fotografları verilmiş, kısaca
tartışılmıştır.
Anahtar kelimeler: Biyoçeşitlilik, Makromantarlar, yeni kayıt, Ascomycota
1. Introduction
Leotia Pers. is a small genus, in the family Leotiaceae, and contains species of
inoperculate discomycetes with stipitate-capitate ascomata. The position of the genus in
Ascomycota was changed several times. Leotia, also known as jelly babies, used to be
classified with other earth tongues in the Geoglossaceae and Helotiaceae, until the
reformulation of Helotiaceae as Leotiaceae in 1973 [1,2]. According to Index fungorum
five confirmed species, Leotia atra Weinm., L. chlorocephala Schwein., L.
infundibuliformis (Schaeff.) Fr., L. lubrica (Scop.) Pers and L. Nana (With.) Fr.,
currently exist in the genus [3].
Despite the widespread occurrence of Leotia [4], and 1858 recorded macromycete taxa
[5-7], it has not been recorded from Turkey so far. The study aims to make contribution
to the macromycota of Turkey.
2. Materials and Method
Fruit bodies of Leotia lubrica were collected from Yomra district of Trabzon province
(Turkey) during routine field trips. Relevant morphological and ecological
characteristics of the samples were recorded and they were photographed in their natural
habitats. Then the samples were taken to the laboratory. Necessary macroscopic and
microscopic measurement data were obtained by using a ruler, light microscope,
micrometers and necessary chemicals (distillate water, Melzer’s reagent, 5% KOH).
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I. Akata, A. Kaya
Identification was performed with the help of literature [8-10]. The specimens are
deposited at the herbarium of Ankara University (ANK).
3. Results
Short description, photographs of fruit bodies and microphotographs of asci, ascospores
and paraphyses of Leotia lubrica are provided.
3.1. Leotia lubrica (Scop.) Pers., 1797.
Syn: Helvella lubrica Scop., Leotia gelatinosa Hill.
3.1.1. Macroscopic features: Cap 8-15 mm broad, irregularly rounded or lobed, margin
inrolled, surface smooth, viscid when moist, yellowish, yellow green or light olive
brown. Flesh thin and gelatinous. Stipe cylindrical, 40-70 × 4-7 mm, more or less equal,
yellow to ochraceous, sometimes with tinged greenish granules (Figure 1), hollow when
mature.
3.1.2. Microscopic features: Spores 21-24 × 5-6 µm, smooth, subfusiform, slightly
curved, with 3 to 5 septa and 5-7 drops, hyaline (Figure 2a). Asci 140-170 × 8-14 µm, 8
spored and inoperculate (Figure 2b). Paraphyses filiform and forked (Figure 2c).
3.1.3. Ecology: Saprobe, growing gregariously or clustered under hardwood and conifer
forest, sometimes forest edges on soil, among grasses or mosses during late summer to
late autumn [1,8,9].
3.1.4. Distrubution: Trabzon, Yomra, Çamlıyurt, roadside, on soil, under Alnus sp.,
40°53′51′′N - 39º50′39′′E, 850 m, 24.09.2009, Akata 2713.
Figure 1. Fruit bodies of Leotia lubrica.
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SDU Journal of Science (E-Journal), 2010, 5 (1): 1-4
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Figure 2. Microstructures of Leotia lubrica. a. Asci, b. Ascospores, c. Paraphyses
4. Discussion
Leotia lubrica resembles Cudonia circinans (Pers.) Fr. in terms of morphology and
ecology. Both of them are saprobe and grow on soil or on rotten wood (even rare)
gregariously, in groups or clusters, especially in conifers. But it differs from C.
circinans with its gelatinous structure and yellow-green tints. C. circinans is not
gelatinous and lacks of yellow-green tints. The spore shape and size are also different.
L. lubrica has spindle-shaped spores (16-25 × 4-6 µm) while C. circinans has needleshaped spores (30-40 × 2 µm) [1,8,11]. It may also be confused with L. chlorocephala
due to its morphology. This time care must be taken to the greenish to dark green cap
and greenish to pale green stalk of this species while L. lubrica is usually yellowish and
larger [12].
References
[1] Arora D., 1986. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi (2nd edition).
Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California, pp. 959.
[2] Zhong Z., Pfıster, D.H., 2004. Phylogenetic relationships among species of Leotia (Leotiales) based
on ITS and RPB2 sequences, Mycological Progress, 3 (3): 237–246.
[3] http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/Names.asp (1 January 2010)
[4] Watson L., Dallwitz M.J., 2008. The families of mushrooms and toadstools represented in the British
Isles. Version: 20th June 2009, http://delta-intkey.com (10 January 2010).
[5] Solak M.H., Işıloğlu M., Kalmış E., Allı H., 2007. Macrofungi of Turkey, Checklist, Volume I
Üniversiteliler Ofset, Bornova, İzmir.
[6] Sesli E., Denchev C.M., 2009. Checklists of the myxomycetes, larger ascomycetes, and larger
basidiomycetes in Turkey. Mycotaxon, 106[2008], 65–67 + on-line version: 1–102
(http://www.mycotaxon.com /resources/checklists/sesli-v106-checklist.pdf).
[7] Uzun Y., Kaya A., Akçay M.E., Demirel K., 2010. New Additions to Turkish Macromycota from
Bingöl province (Turkey), Turkish Journal of Botany, 34: 63-66.
[8] Breitenbach J., Kränzlin F., 1981. Fungi of Switzerland. Volume 1. Ascomycetes. Verlag mycologia,
Luzern, pp. 310.
[9] Hansen L., Knudsen H., 2000. Nordic Macromycetes (Ascomycetes). Vol.1 Nordsvamp, Copehagen,
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pp. 309.
[10] Jordan M., 1995. The Encyclopedia of Fungi of Britain and Europe. David & Charles Book Co,
Devon, pp. 309.
[11] Kuo M., 2003. Leotia lubrica, http://www.mushroomexpert.com/leotia_lubrica.html (10 January
2010)
[12] Kuo M., 2004. Cudonia circinans, http://www.mushroomexpert.com/cudonia_circinans.html (10
January 2010)
Abdullah Kaya e-mail: [email protected]
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